Typhoon
by adromir
Summary: -COMPLETE-Prequel to the Manyan Series; During an excursion into the woods, the Mirkwood princes and the Rivendell twins got trapped in a powerful storm.
1. Default Chapter

**Summary ; During an excursion into the woods, the Mirkwood princes and the Rivendell twins got trapped in a powerful storm. **

**Hi, everyone! See? Didn't I tell you I'll come back with 'Typhoon' today? He! He! I'm sure you don't want to hear me blabbering about so start reading!**

**NOTE ;  This chapter is not betaed yet due to some technical difficulties. I'll make the adjustments later.**

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"You shot me! I can't believe this! BUT YOU SHOT ME!!!!!" Elladan still had not stopped yelling.

Elrohir, his identical younger twin looked on guiltily as their friends, Keldarion and Legolas, the princes of Mirkwood, smothered their laughter behind their hands.

"Come on, Ell. I've told you I was sorry," said Elrohir.

Elladan glared. "_Sorry?_ YOU SHOT ME, YOU MORON!!!!!!"

Elrohir cringed. Keldarion laughed as he bent down beside his brother, tending to Elladan's injury. The arrow was still imbedded deep in Elladan's right foot. His boot was drenched with blood and he must be feeling quite an agony, but the two Mirkwood brothers could not help but find the humorous side of an otherwise tense situation.

"Stop whining, Ell!" Legolas said, still chuckling. "You are such a baby!"

"I tell you who is the baby among us! _You _are!! The three of us are 1,000 years older than you and we completely know how _annoying_ little brothers can be," Elladan yelled, sending murderous glare at Legolas then at Elrohir. "So shut up and heal me so I can beat this moron here to a pulp!!"

Keldarion shook his head. "Oh, grow up, Ell! Can't you see how scared Ro is?"

Elladan instantly stopped his tirade and took a good look at his twin. Sure enough, Elrohir was extremely pale. There was deep guilt and fear on his face. The elder twin was suddenly assailed with remorse. Wordlessly, he reached up a hand to his brother.

Elrohir took it in his firm grasp. "I'm truly sorry, Ell. Really, I am. To know that I could have hit your heart instead!"

Elladan returned the squeeze. "I know, Ro. I know. Forgive me for blowing up so high. It was an accident, not your fault."

A while ago, Elrohir had been inspecting the workings of his bow and arrow right before they were about to depart back for Mirkwood. They had been spending a full day lazing around by the waterfall of Qestari, which was about fifty leagues away from the woodland realm. Legolas had just recovered from his experience of being kidnapped by the wild Norsemen clan. After being cooped up in his chamber for nearly a week, feeling highly restless, Legolas had begged his brother and their friends to take him some place where he could breathe the fresh air and rejuvenate. 

So, the three elder elves had taken him here on foot to the magnificent cascade of clear shining water of Qestari that had been named after a beautiful ancient nymph. The moment they arrived, the four companions had immediately shed their weapons and tunics and dove right into the cool and crystalline pool beneath the waterfall. After spending hours of frolicking and wrestling around in the water like a group of drunken otters, they finally decided to head back home before King Thranduil could send out his army of search and rescues.

While pulling the string of his bow experimentally, Elrohir's fingers had slipped all of a sudden and the arrow flew towards the nearest object in its line of target; Elladan's misfortune right foot.

Keldarion and Legolas exchanged smiles when they saw the twins held on to each other. Carefully, with Legolas' help, Keldarion pulled the arrow out. Elladan shut his eyes and groaned deeply. Elrohir hugged his twin tighter, whispering consoling words.

The moment the arrow was taken out, Legolas reached down and set his healing touch to work. A powerful _manyan _healer as he was, the prince was able to heal Elladan's wound completely in mere seconds. 

Now that the agony was totally gone, Elladan could breath easier. "Thanks, both of you. I'm not sure if I could walk all the way back to Mirkwood with that kind of injury."

Elrohir still felt bad. "I'm sorry, Ell."

Elladan smiled. "Stop that, Ro. You're already forgiven. Just promise me you won't do it again!"

"Even if he promised, I'm not sure if he _can_ keep it! He has terrible shot!" Legolas teased. 

Elrohir glared before he pounced upon the Mirkwood prince. Both fell to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs, growling and pummeling each other.

Elladan glanced at Keldarion. "See? I told you little brothers are annoying!"

Half an hour later on their way back home, Legolas sported a shiner while Elrohir had a split lip, but both were grinning like idiots as they exchanged jokes and banters between them. Keldarion and Elladan could only shake their heads; half exasperated and half amused with their younger brothers' antics.

"Hey! I have an idea! What do you say if we race?" Legolas suddenly suggested excitedly.

"I second to that!" Elrohir said loudly. "There are two routes back to Mirkwood, through the valley or through the hills. Elladan and I will take the hills. It's shorter."

"No problem. Kel and I will take the valley. It's easier."

"All right. Let's go!"

Before Elrohir and Legolas could take off at high speed, Elladan and Keldarion each grabbed the back of their brothers' tunic. "Not so fast, you two!!! Who says we are racing?"

"We did!" the younger elves replied. "Come on!!!" With that, Legolas and Elrohir sped away, taking different directions.

Sighing heavily and cursing under their breath, Keldarion and Elladan glanced ruefully at each other before they ran after their respective brothers. 

*****************************

"I can't believe I let you drag me into this!" Keldarion complained for the umpteenth time as he trudged after his brother through the muddy soil of the valley. They had been running non-stop and Mirkwood was still twenty-five leagues away.

Legolas grinned in return. "Aw, come on, Kel! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"I forgot to bring it with me and left it somewhere in my chamber!" Keldarion retorted, jumping nimbly over a fallen log. "What is the prize if we win this race anyway?"

"It's not the prize that matters. It's the glory of winning! That's what counts the most!"

"Yeah, right," Keldarion snorted, scowling at Legolas's back. His younger brother never broke his pace. In fact, he was running much faster than ever. _That kid has more stamina than a wild bull_, Keldarion thought. _And has lesser sense than a monkey and…Wait! What in the world is that? _

Keldarion halted and frowned. He looked around him in rapt attention, his keen senses working full time. It took Legolas several moments to realize that his brother had stopped running behind him. He turned and, to his confusion, saw Keldarion standing so still and silent. "Kel? What's wrong?"

"Do you feel that?" Keldarion said quietly.

"Feel what? I don't feel a thing," Legolas replied, as he also looked around him, a dagger ready at hand.

"It's something in the air. The air is changing so drastically. Can you feel it?"

Legolas nodded as he finally noticed the shifting weather. The temperature had dropped and the sun had suddenly disappeared behind the darkened clouds above. The air started to get so oppressive that they both knew that something was about to happen anytime soon.

"A big storm is coming," said Legolas.

"Yes. And it's coming fast." Keldarion nudged his brother forward. "I'm not sure how big this one will be but I think we need to seek for shelter."

"In this valley?" Legolas let his brother drag him up an embankment. "There's nothing but open space!"

"That's why we must get to higher ground," Keldarion panted as they quickly climbed up the hill. "We need to look for a cave before the storm hit."

But they were a little too late. The imminent typhoon from the northern region came upon them violently while the two brothers were still struggling looking for a place to take cover.

TBC… 

**Err…cliffie?**


	2. 2

**He! He! He! You all like that cliffie, didn't you?**

**@Abbi Cat: The story of Legolas being kidnapped by the Norsemen can be red in 'Touch Of A Healer."**

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Standing outside on his balcony as the wild wind whipped his cloak about him, Thranduil looked up to the dark sky worriedly. _The boys still have not returned and the storm is approaching fast. Where exactly are they? How do they fare? _

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"Legolas! Hang on! We must not get separated!" Keldarion shouted over the din of the howling wind as they slowly made their way up. Their aim was to get to a small cave they knew situated right over the hill.

Holding tight to his brother, Legolas tried not to get blown away by the vicious gale. The torrential rain had cut down their vision to only several feet. To make matters worse, hail had also come down, hurling pellets of frozen hailstone all around them. Thunders boomed loudly as lightning struck crazily, one after the other. Their path was getting more slippery from the mud and sleet.

"Kel! How much further?" Legolas yelled the question. Unbelievable, but the wind was getting stronger and louder. 

"I don't know! I can't see!"

"Are we heading to the right direction?"

"I hope so!"

Then, the inevitable happened. As they climbed up over a ledge, the two brothers heard another horrific sound. 

"Landslide!!!!" Keldarion shouted, instantly grabbing his brother against him.

A second later, tons of earth from above came down in rapid slide, dragging both brothers back to the bottom of the valley! 

Crying out in terror, they tumbled head over heels among the rolling earth and rubble. Somehow in the confusing chaos, they lost their hold on each other. 

Legolas must have been knocked unconscious for several moments. When he came around, he found that he had stopped sliding and was lying face down in the mud. Groaning and spitting mud out of his mouth, he tried to raise himself up but stopped short when he felt intense pain coming from his right arm.

Moving more gingerly this time, he sat up and looked down. His arm looked awkward, bent at an angle that told him it was either twisted or broken. Brushing the pile of earth off his body with one hand, he made further inspection for any injuries. Except for the arm and some cuts and a big bruise on his head, he was not badly injured. 

_Too bad I can heal everyone else but not myself_, Legolas thought ruefully, staring at his arm.

Then he remembered something else. "Kel!!!"

He hastily got to his feet, cursing fluently when he slipped on the slippery ground, and continued calling frantically for his brother. "Kel!!! Where are you?!!!"

The rain was still falling heavily but the wind had let up somewhat. Cradling his injured arm, Legolas made his way through the rubbles and searched for Keldarion. As tears mixed with the rain on his face, he began to imagine the worse fate that had befallen his brother.

"Please, Kel, answer me…" Legolas was crying earnestly now. "Where are you?!!"

Through the blurry range of his vision, he finally saw a limp hand poking out from beneath a fallen trunk of a tree. "NO!! KEL!!! Valar, no!!!"

He rushed to it, stumbled heavily to the ground and got up running once more. He fell to his knees beside the tree trunk and started digging his brother out. "It's all right, Kel! I'll get you out of there! Just hold on! Please, stay with me!!"

It took him several minutes to get the dirt and pile of earth off Keldarion's body by using only his one hand. But when he finally managed to unearth his brother, Legolas found out that Keldarion was far from free. The elder prince was still pinned under the tree. He was not moving and his eyes were closed.

"Kel…" With trembling hand, Legolas reached down and touched his brother's neck. When he found Keldarion's pulse, Legolas heaved a sigh of relief.  Keldarion was also still breathing, but very weakly. 

"You are going to be fine, big brother. I'll see to that." Legolas gently ran his hand over his brother's mud-splattered face, brushing away the dirt and looked intently for any injuries. He found a big gash at the back of his brother's head and it was still bleeding. Placing his hand over the gash, Legolas forced out his energy to heal it.

A moment later, Keldarion stirred and his eyes fluttered open. "Legolas?"

Legolas smiled. "Well, who else do you think?"

Keldarion made a move to rise but halted instantly. He stared in dawning horror at the heavy tree trunk lying across his middle. "Ah…this is not good."

"I know," Legolas said, putting a restraining hand on his brother's chest. "Don't move yet. Where else do you hurt? Is the tree giving you pain?"

"Not really. I don't think I break anything, if that's what you mean. But I can't move. I'm totally stuck here!"

"Are you sure you're not hurt anywhere else?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine! Just help get this stupid tree off of me!" Keldarion was already pushing at the said tree trunk. 

Legolas looked down sadly. "Kel, I wish I can."

"Why not? It will not be too heavy if we do it together. I'll push it up while you lift, and then I'll scoot out from under it."

"I…I…think I broke my arm. I'm sorry," Legolas said softly.

Keldarion brushed the rainwater out of his face and took a good look at his brother. He finally noticed that Legolas was cradling his right arm against his chest, grimacing in pain. "Oh, Legolas. Sorry, I didn't know." He reached up and lightly touched his brother's injured arm. "Well, how bad is it?"

Legolas shrugged. "Bad enough that I can't help you with this bloody stupid tree!!"

Keldarion grinned. "That bad, huh? Well, looks like we're not going anywhere for quite a while. I think we already lost the race to the twins!"

Legolas rolled his eyes. "Kel, it's not funny!"

"Aw, come on, Legolas! Where's your sense of adventure?" 

Legolas groaned out loud when his brother repeated the exact words he had said a while ago before the storm hit. "Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny, Kel. That was totally brilliant."

But Keldarion was no longer listening to his brother. Something else had suddenly grabbed his attention. "Do you hear that?"

"Oh, great. What now?" Legolas also listened intently. Then he heard it; the thunderous sound of rushing water. Legolas looked around and realized that they were very near to the stream that ran through the valley.

"Oh, no. Flash flood from upstream," Legolas uttered in horror.

**TBC…**

**Evil cliffie from Moria!!! Yes!!!**


	3. 3

**@feanen : Leave my bad habit? No. He! He! He! I like you all to suffer. Savvy?**

**Another cliffie coming up! And I'm kind enough to warn you beforehand!**

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"Oh, no. Flash flood from upstream," Legolas uttered in horror. 

"And we are directly in its way!" Keldarion cried out. "Go, Legolas! Go climb up the hill!"

"WHAT?!! But…but what about you?" Legolas was wide-eyed, incredibly dismayed that his brother would suggest such a thing.

"Just do as I say! Go, now! You don't have much time!"

"I cannot leave you here!"

"Yes, you can! You still have your legs. Leave, Legolas! NOW!!" Keldarion was frantically pushing at his brother, but Legolas won't budge. 

"No! I will not leave you!" Legolas cried out. He quickly gathered Keldarion's upper body onto his lap. One handedly, he took off the strap of his bow and wrapped the leather around him and his brother and tied its end to a branch of the tree.

Keldarion grew panic. "Don't be stubborn at a time like this! I want you to go!"

"Don't push me, Kel! I will NOT leave you and that's final!!"

"There's no sense for us both to die here! You can still save yourself! LEAVE!!"

Legolas hugged his brother even tighter. "Make me."

Keldarion gazed sadly at his brother. "Legolas…"

"Please, Kel. Don't ask me to do it. I can't…"

Keldarion closed his eyes briefly, and then wrapped his arms around the trembling Legolas. "All right, little brother. We face this together. Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Nothing is over till it's over. Got that?"

Legolas nodded. "Got it. Loud and clear." 

Then, the merciless churning water came and hit the two brothers, trying its best to drag them away in its powerful wake.

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Elladan and Elrohir sat huddled together under the outcropping of a large rock at the top of the hill, watching in apprehension at the fading storm beyond. The vicious gale had abated and the rain had dwindled to a drizzle. 

"Is it safe to come out yet?" Elrohir asked, rubbing the sore spot on his knee where he had knocked against a rock when climbing to this spot a while ago.

Elladan nodded after taking a better look at the still gloomy weather. "I think so. The storm has lifted." Crawling out of their shelter, Elladan reached down and helped his brother. "Come. Let's get to Mirkwood before night falls."

They were slowly making their way through the aftermath of the storm when Elrohir suddenly said quietly, "Ell?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think Kel and Legolas survive the storm just now?"

Elladan stared thoughtfully at his brother. "I hope so. They could have found shelter like we did."

"But they are in the valley. Do you think they will be able to find one?"

The elder twin halted. His eyes widened as he understood what Elrohir had meant. "Oh, no."

"Should we go look for them, Ell?"

Elladan's only answer was by pivoting and rushing down the hill towards the valley, with Elrohir close at his heels.

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As the heavy water fell on top of him, Legolas was thinking, "This is it. This is the end. We are going to die here." 

He felt himself being pulled viciously with the current, but the leather strap tied around him to the tree prevented him from getting swept away. He was about to drown in the powerful rushing water, yet he never let go of his hold on his brother. His chest was about to burst and his ears were ringing from the lack of air, but still he held on. 

_It's not over till it's over_, Keldarion had said, so he held on. 

Miraculously, the tree trunk stayed put and did not even move an inch in the powerful current. Its big roots were wedged between some boulders and it gave firm grips for the brothers to hold on to. 

Keldarion lay stiff in Legolas' arms, either unconscious or was simply waiting stoically for the big wave of rapid water to pass. When the vicious wave finally passed over to leave a steady current in its wake, the depth of the stream ebbed. 

Legolas broke the surface, dragging a big lungful of air. He choked and gasped for several moments before realizing that his brother was still engulfed by the water, pinned underneath the tree. "Kel!!"

The stream had only come to Legolas' neck in his sitting position, but Keldarion was not so lucky. He was trapped beneath the water, unable to raise himself.

Legolas knew that it might take at least an hour for the water to ebb completely. But Keldarion couldn't hold his breath that long. He will drown!

After taking a deep breath, Legolas pushed his face under the water. Pinching his brother's nose with one hand, Legolas forced the air out of his mouth into Keldarion's. Then, he came up for air and repeated the process again and again.

At first Keldarion was unresponsive that Legolas thought his effort was already too late. But then Keldarion weakly lifted his hand to place it on Legolas' forearm, signaling his brother that he was still alive. 

Legolas diligently continued the mouth-to-mouth breathing to his brother, hoping that the water level will quickly ebb. He didn't know how long he could carry on the exhausting procedure. He had already felt drained and light headed but he didn't dare stop.

His brother's life was now in his hands.

TBC… 

**See? I've told you. Cliffie again!**


	4. 4

@Zoya ; You're right. The German GP was disastrous at the very beginning with all the collisions! And bad, bad Ralfie!!! He is handsome and I like him so much, still, he's one bad guy in that race!

**@DiamondD ; I was never mad at you, but I'm very mad at Ralfie for starting the whole accident thing! Poor Kimi! He hurt his leg quite badly (At first, he didn't realize it when he jumped out of the wreckage of his MP4-17 and ran to the pit)! It was more like '_Sudah jatuh ditimpa tangga dan dilenyek lori_!' Don't worry, though. Kimi will bounce back next three weeks in Hungaroring! Mark my words! And yes, I've bought the Cinema Online Mag. It's marvelous!**

**@AbbiCat14 ; 'Trouble at The Towers', hmm? My brain is already spinning with plots and everything! Let's pray that I come out with another fic with that title in the coming future! Thanks for suggesting it!!**

**Okay, everyone! We've come to the last chapter of this short story! **

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"Yikes!!" Elrohir cried out as he slipped on the mud and fell down hard on his rump.

Elladan reached over and helped him up. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, except for a bruised pride." Elrohir grimaced as he brushed the mud off his clothes. "I hate this thing. My tunic's all ruined."

Elladan grinned. "You're so vain! You should see yourself in the mirror! You look like a drowned rat!"

"Don't have to. We are identical, remember? I know exactly how I look like just by looking at you!"

"Well, that make us _a pair_ of drowned rats!!" Elladan joked. He stopped laughing when he saw the site of a landslide a few yards ahead. "I hope they didn't get caught in this. This looks bad."

"But what if they _did_?" Elrohir voiced out, hoping that he was wrong. "Could they survive this?"

"I don't know. Let's check it out, just in case."  

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Legolas was oblivious as time flew by. He was only aware of Keldarion's limp form in his arms as he kept providing air through his brother's mouth repeatedly. He realized that he was weakening and his movements were getting slower. His exhausted body screamed for respite but he refused to stop.

Keldarion had ceased stirring for sometime now. Still, Legolas could not accept the possibilities that his brother might already be dead.  

_I will not stop!_ Legolas cried out inwardly. _It's not over yet! Please, Kel! Stay!!!_

But his body began to fail him. He had trouble breathing himself. Added to that was the blinding pain in his arm. He knew he was no longer capable of continuing. 

_It's not over_…Legolas thought weakly as he slowly loss consciousness. Then he fell facedown into the water.

Almost immediately, a pair of hands grabbed him and pulled him upright.

"Legolas! We're here, buddy! Hang on!" As if from afar, Legolas heard someone cried out. 

"Valar!! Kelarion is trapped underwater beneath the tree!" 

"What?! Please don't tell me he has drowned!"

"I don't know. We have to lift the tree and free him."

There was some confusion around him that Legolas did not fully understand. He was propped against the tree and felt when it moved. A part of his mind told him that he should help, but he did not know how to order his body to do so. And when the leather strap that bound him to his brother was released, he panicked. _No! Don't take it off!_ He tried to yell but it only came out in a moan.

"It's all right, Legolas. We got him," a familiar voice said. Then he was lifted out of the water and laid down gently on the ground.

Several moments later, Legolas blinked and saw Elrohir gazing down at him. His friend smiled. "Hey."

Legolas tried to speak but broke up coughing instead. 

"Easy, easy. Take a deep breath," Elrohir said, rubbing a comforting hand across Legolas's chest.

"K…Kel…" Legolas managed to croak. "Where…?"

"Elladan is tending to him," Elrohir said grimly, indicating his twin who was giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to Keldarion several feet away.

Legolas gingerly raised himself and scooted closer to his unmoving brother. "He's…not breathing?"

Elladan did not answer as he continued his effort. The pain expression on Legolas's face saddened him. He didn't have the heart to tell the Mirkwood prince that his brother had ceased breathing even before they pulled him out of the water. 

Without a word, Legolas reached down using his good arm and placed a hand on top of Keldarion's chest. His brother's heart was still beating but very faintly. So, there was still hope. 

_Here goes_…Legolas closed his eyes and gave everything he got, his healing power already mad at work. He forgot everything else except for his brother_. Breathe, Kel. Breathe._

He never stopped even when he felt what's left of his energy began to desert him completely.

He didn't stop even when his friends' familiar voices frantically told him to do so.

He still didn't stop even when his body trembled and swayed.

_Breathe, Kel. Breathe._

Then he felt himself falling…and falling…and he knew nothing else.

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Keldarion woke up gasping for air. He wheezed and panted, and looked around him with fear in his eyes.

"Kel! It's all right, Kel. You are going to be fine." The twins snapped out of their surprised reverie to sooth their panicked friend.

"Le…Legolas… Where is he?" Keldarion asked with anxiety before he realized that his brother was lying right across his chest. "Oh, Lord! Legolas!"

Keldarion sat up and cradled his brother in his arms. "What did he do?"

"You had stopped breathing and I could not revive you, so he used his healing touch," Elladan answered.

Keldarion shook his head. "He never stopped, did he? First he breathed air into my mouth when I was trapped underwater, and now _this_?"

"It's not over…till…it's over…" Legolas said weakly all of a sudden. His eyes fluttered open and he grinned feebly at his brother. "Don't…forget that."

Keldarion returned the grin. "Right. How can I forget?" He touched his brother's cheek. "We did it, bro."

Legolas began to laugh. "You got your sense of adventure back, Kel?"

"I surely did!"

Elladan and Elrohir looked on worriedly as the two Mirkwood princes succumbed to uncontrollable mirth, laughing helplessly.

"Crazy brothers. You two lost your brains somewhere in the flood?" The twins couldn't help but grinned in amusement at their friends' weird behavior.

Legolas had to gasp for air after laughing so hard. "Could be. We are lucky we didn't lose our neck!"

Keldarion gazed down at his brother. "Thanks to you, we are still alive. You never gave up on me."

"Aw, stop that, Kel!" Legolas said, a little embarrassed.

The elder prince pulled his brother into his embrace. "Just be quiet and let me tell you that I love you."

"Right. Hmm, same here," Legolas shyly replied. 

They stayed that way for quite a while, grateful that they had succeeded in facing a certain death together. 

"Eh-hem!!" The twins interrupted, loudly clearing their throat. "What about us?"

Keldarion and Legolas grinned. "Yes, we love you guys too!!"

The four companions then crowded around, hugging one another. 

"You two came just in time," Legolas said. "I was already defeated back there." Then he cried out in pain when Elrohir bumped against his injured arm.

"What? Did I hurt you?" Elrohir panicked when he saw Legolas grimacing.

"I think he broke his arm during the landslide," Keldarion told the twins. "Get me the leather strap. We need to bind his arm close to his chest before we head back to Mirkwood."

*******************************

Commander Linden led his troop of warriors through the woods. Night had just fallen but there was still no sign of the princes and their companions. 

They had started searching for them the moment the storm had passed. Even Linden, who was not a father himself, could understand the great worry that Thranduil was going through. _Those elflings! Always come out with one escapade after another!_ _They are lucky they are not my sons or __I would lock them in their chamber and not let them out until it's time to sail over the sea!!_

"Commander!" One of the warriors called out suddenly, pointing out to their left at the approaching shadows.

Keldarion, Legolas and the twins looked up in surprise at the horse-riding Mirkwood warriors that unexpectedly appeared in front of them. They were not aware of the troop until they met them face-to-face.

"Linden! What are you doing here?" Keldarion spoke. He had one arm wrapped around Legolas, pulling his unsteady younger brother against him. Legolas, a little dazed and very tired, only lifted his good hand and waved at the commander.

Linden instantly dismounted, followed by the rest of the warriors. "Your highnesses! Good lord, what happened to you?" He looked at the two pairs of brothers, up and down. The four of them were soaked to the skin from head to toe with mud and lord knows what else. "You looked like drowned rodents!"

Elladan and Elrohir broke out laughing. Obviously, they were sharing a secret joke between them.

"The storm hit us while we were racing home," Keldarion explained, smiling at the twins' laughter. "Legolas and I got swept away by a landslide, we tumbled downhill into the valley, I got pinned under a tree, Legolas broke his arm, then came a wild flash flood, I got trapped underwater and we both nearly drowned. All in all, a very adventurous day for the four of us!"

Linden and the warriors stared wide-eyed at Keldarion's words, a mixture of disbelief and horror appeared on their faces.

"Well," Linden said finally, his lips twitching in amusement. "We have been looking for you by the king's orders. I'm glad you are all right."

"Except for me. I've broken my arm," Legolas whined, pointing at his injured arm in the makeshift sling.

Linden smiled wider. "Well, then, my prince. You are riding with me. We don't want that arm jostled too much, do we?" He then told several warriors to give their mounts to Keldarion and the twins. 

"Now, let's go home," Linden said when everyone had settled. Then they were off.

In the peaceful silence, Legolas suddenly voiced out, "Linden?"

The commander gazed at the younger elf who sat in front of him. "Yes, your highness?" 

"Is father angry?"

Keldarion and the twins groaned out loud to hear that. Linden grinned as he replied, "Immensely!"

**********************

Thranduil was not only angry. He was furious.

_How dare those boys worried me like this again! _he fumed as he paced in front of the great door. _When are they going to start behaving like adults?!_

A shout from the courtyard caught his attention. He rushed out the door to investigate, and all his anger disappeared abruptly. _The boys have returned!_

Linden placed a supporting arm around Legolas' waist as the prince dismounted. Keldarion and the twins also got down from their horses and turned to face the king. 

After he got the first look on his sons and their companions, Thranduil felt torn between laughing or yelling at them. "What on earth had happened to the lot of you?"

"The storm happened," Keldarion answered. Then he started to relate the story the same way he had told Linden earlier.

"This time it was not our fault, father! How could we know there will be a storm coming today?" Legolas pleaded their innocence, thinking that the king was still mad at them.

Thranduil tried to keep a stern-looking face but failed. His lips twitched. Relief that his sons were still alive after that horrific landslide and flash flood, the king raised his arms to hug them both, but then thought better of it. 

"Go inside and get clean," he ordered, wrinkling his nose at their mud-splattered state. "Take a bath and get rid of that mud! The four of you look like drowned orcs!!"

The young elves grinned at one another like idiots. The king's assessment of their appearance was the best they heard yet.

"And Legolas, after you've finished washing I'm going to look at that arm. That means, do not leave your chamber after your bath," Thranduil added.

Legolas rolled his eyes. "Yes, father." He started to follow the others inside. Then his eyes caught Elrohir's. They exchanged knowing looks for several seconds before they took off running at high speed.

"What the…!!!" The others were astonished to see the two run ahead.

"Is the race still on?" Elladan asked, bewildered.

Keldarion sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Looks like it is."

They both stared at each other and cried out, "Little brothers _are_ annoying!!"

THE END 

Finish already! Yes, that story was short, I know. Right now, I'm in the process of completing another LOTR story entitled 'Tortured Soul'. Yep, another 'T'.

I would like to thank all of you who spent your precious time reading and reviewing this fic. And, like always, here are the faithful reviewers in alphabetical order : AbbiCat14; Alkvingiel; dae; DiamondD; Ebony Falcon; Fairylady; feanen; goblz; HalandLeg4ever; Kayo; Kristy South; Legolas4me; legolaslover20031; lucy; Menthol; namarie2Legolas; Nikki1; PokethePenguin; Sailor Elf; szhismine; Tapetum Lucidum; teddybear888; Zoya (if I forgot anybody's name, please forgive me!)

I also have a request here. Since I have been submitting stories to this board early this year, I keep wondering if you readers could see the MORAL VALUES that I tried to put in my every story. If you can identify them, please tell me and give me your views. Your feedbacks are greatly appreciated!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

And Meagan my beta, I'm indebted to you. Thanks!

**To those who are still confused, here are the titles in the Manyan Series :**

**1. ****Twisted Maze                                      (Prequel)**

**2. ****Touch Of A Healer                    (Prequel)**

**3. ****Typhoon                                                 (Prequel)**

**4. ****The Evil Bride                                      (Pre-LOTR)**

**5. ****Traps In The Woods                     (Pre-LOTR)**

**6. ****Tiger, Tiger                                      (Pre-LOTR)**

**7. ****Trauma                                                  (Pre-LOTR)**

**8. ****Through The Eyes Of Hawkeye                (Pre-LOTR)**

**9. ****Take My Heart Away                       (Pre-LOTR)    **

**10. ****Thicker Than Water                     (Pre-LOTR)**

**11. ****Thunder In The Realm                     (Pre-LOTR)    **

**12. ****Trust                                                      (LOTR)**

**13. ****Tortured Soul                                        (LOTR, coming soon)**

**See you all in 'Tortured Soul' in two weeks time!! See ya and smile always!!!**


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